Boy's family struggles to make sense of shooting

Thursday

Sep 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - Two grieving parents and a distraught gun owner sat at their kitchen table Wednesday, sobbing and searching for answers a day after an 11-year-old boy killed himself with a gun he was taught not to touch unless he was in danger.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - Two grieving parents and a distraught gun owner sat at their kitchen table Wednesday, sobbing and searching for answers a day after an 11-year-old boy killed himself with a gun he was taught not to touch unless he was in danger.

The boy's mother and father expressed unimaginable pain and sadness a day after the sixth-grader at Harrison Elementary School was found dead inside his home in the 2300 block of North Funston Avenue. Their show of emotion was only surpassed by lifelong friend Daniel Vallejo, the man who found his 9 mm Ruger handgun a few feet from the boy's body.

"I saw the gun on the floor, and I yelled his name," Vallejo said, crying loudly and uncontrollably. "I looked over and saw his knees buckled, and then I saw the puddle of blood, and I said, 'Oh, God!' "

Investigators from the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office spent hours at the home Tuesday trying to determine how the boy was shot.

Preliminary findings indicated that the boy sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but it was unknown whether it was suicide or an accidental discharge, said Deputy Les Garcia, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office. Official findings might not be released for weeks, and the boy's loved ones may never know whether the shooting was accidental, Garcia said.

"We won't know until they examine all the evidence, but maybe we can find something that will help the coroner determine the matter of death," Garcia said. "To be quite honest, it may be undetermined. We just have to let the investigation run its course and find out what the results are."

Vallejo and the boy's parents, whose names are being withheld because the victim is a minor, aren't convinced that the shooting was accidental.

"I think there was some kind of foul play here," the boy's father said, noting the gun was found several feet from the body and pointing to an unfamiliar footprint on the bathroom floor. "My son never showed signs of being suicidal."

The boy and his parents have lived with Vallejo since their home was foreclosed upon about a year ago. The boy played baseball, participated in karate and often played basketball with neighbors.

Vallejo, who said he kept the gun under his pillow in his bedroom, said the boy was instructed not to touch the gun unless an intruder threatened his life.

"I don't know why he would have had it out unless somebody threatened him in some way," Vallejo said. "I mentioned to him that it was for emergency use only and only when you're home alone. Then, and only then, when your life is in immediate danger, do you use that gun."

Under California law, Vallejo could face prison time and fines if authorities determine his gun was not stored in a locked container or disabled with a locking device. Garcia noted that the Sheriff's Office provides gun locks for free as part of Project ChildSafe, a nationwide program that promotes safe firearms handling and storage practices.

"Owning a gun isn't as simple as putting it on top of the refrigerator so your children can't reach it," Garcia said. "I understand that people purchase guns for sport as well as protecting their families, but part of protecting your family is making sure younger members of your family don't have access to guns where they may harm themselves."

The boy's death saddened friends and classmates at Harrison Elementary School, where six counselors and a number of parents were on hand Wednesday to console students, Stockton Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Julie Penn said.

"When they get emotional, we get them out of the classroom and into a room," Penn said. "They're doing some writing about what they thought of the student and that they're going to miss him. Some, obviously, are upset, but they are coping and working with grief counselors."

The boy's parents are trying to cope, too.

"I loved him," the boy's mother said. "I still love him. He was my sunshine boy. He made my day - every day."